


Milkshakes

by watermelonriddles



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M, Pre-Canon, What-If, soft Rio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-07 04:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18402995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: A little "What If" scenario in which Beth and Rio meet years before their first encounter in 1x01. She is heavily pregnant, he's a soft boy at heart, the two talk and spend a bit of time together.





	1. Initial

**Author's Note:**

> I always love that thing TV shows (and movies and whatnot) do where there's a flashback and you see that two characters you adore have interacted previously. I wanted to do something like that, although instead of doing a fleeting moment I wanted something more fleshed out so I hope you enjoy :)

Only a month or so away from her due date, the last thing Beth should have been doing was last minute shopping for baby stuff. While they still had a lot from the previous three pregnancies, there was much that had needed to be replaced over the years. Dean always seemed to be busy so there she was, alone, dreading the upcoming shop.

By the entrance, there had been a display of discounted soft toys and she found a stuffed rabbit she liked the look of. It was a bit big for the baby but she could always set it aside for a later birthday. Maybe even use it as a decoration in the meantime. Hugging it to her chest, she wandered further into the shop. She had originally planned to grab a cart and get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible but she found her eyes drifting towards the food court.

Suddenly, as she was making her way towards it, someone bumped into her and sent the stuffed rabbit flying to the floor. She was too exhausted to say anything or let her frustration get the better of her. Plus her mind was racing through the process of having to bend down to get the bunny, something she was sure would be impossible in her current condition. However, before she could think any more about it, the man who had bumped into her picked it up and handed it to her.

“Sorry.” His voice was gruff and she looked at him then. He was a big man but it was the tattoos littering his body that drew her attention. There were even some on his face and while he had apologised, he didn’t look particularly friendly.

“You alright?”

Beth turned suddenly to see another man behind her, a few steps away. Although his tattoos were less in number, it was hard to avoid the eagle one on his neck and from the way he looked at the man beside her, she guessed they knew each other. This new man really was tall, dark, and handsome and Beth wasn’t entirely aware of the fact that she was looking him up and down until she caught his smirk.

She diverted her eyes and cleared her throat. “I’m fine. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Just as she looked at him again, hoping to save herself from any embarrassment, the baby decided it was the perfect time to kick particularly hard. She snapped her eyes shut and placed her hand over the spot on her bump. Normally, she wouldn’t bat an eye but her fourth child had decided in the last couple of weeks or so that kicking was their favourite thing and it was beginning to add up.

“Hey, are you sure?” the man asked, and suddenly she felt him there. “Come on, sit down.”

When she opened her eyes he was right in front of her. He held his arm out and she hung onto it. She really wanted to protest but instead, she allowed him to guide her towards one of the tables and once they were close enough, he stood in front of her with his hands out. She gripped them for support as she lowered herself down onto one of the seats.

She sighed with relief. “Thank you.”

“Should you even be out?” he asked, eyes darting down to her bump.

“Probably not.” She rubbed her stomach. The pain had already subsided. “But I don’t have much time and I really have to finish this shopping.”

He seemed to think that over for a moment before sinking into the seat across from her. “You got a list?” She pulled it out of her bag and held it up. “Is that exactly what you need?”

“Yeah… Why?” Without any warning, he plucked the list from her hand and gave it over to the man who had bumped into her. The two shared a look before he disappeared with her list. “Where is he going? I need that.”

“He’s picking up your stuff,” he said as if it were obvious. “You’ll just need to take it to the checkout and pay.” She gave him a curious look and opened her mouth to say something but she couldn’t form the words. “You look exhausted. No offence.”

She waved him off and settled back into her seat a little more. Her eye lingered on the stuffed rabbit that laid on the table. “I am so none taken.” She looked back at him. He was also sat back and he watched her carefully. “Do I get a name or…?’

His tongue darted out over his bottom lip. “Rio.”

“Beth.” She offered up a small smile.

“So…” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “You hungry?”

“Starving,” she admitted.

“What do you fancy?”

Beth looked around the place, her eyes seeking out what other people had bought. “Waffles with chocolate sauce,” she decided when she spotted a young girl stuffing her face with some but then her eyes landed on the next table over. “Although those cheesy fries look nice too.”

“What about a drink?”

She thought about that for a moment. “Chocolate milkshake.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he stood up and headed towards the food. She had to turn a little in her seat to be able to see him properly. He grabbed a tray and made his way along the line until he was waiting at the end. She frowned as she watched him. He had his back to her and she wondered if that was deliberate.

When he turned back around, she noticed that his tray had a plate of waffles (with chocolate sauce) and a chocolate milkshake. As he came back over and settled it down in front of her, she looked between the tray and him.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing,” Rio said as he sat back down. “They’re putting on some fries now so they’ll bring it over when it’s ready. I got you two forks for each thing and a knife just in case."

“I.. I don’t know what to…” She blinked a few times at her food before her eyes found his again. “Thanks.”

He shrugged. “Just eat up before I take it.”

Beth carefully lifted everything up and Rio swiped the tray away. When she placed it back down on the table, she took a drink of her milkshake. It was impossible not to smile. It tasted just as good as she thought it would. His kindness had really knocked her for two and she wanted to really thank him. Not knowing how and figuring he wouldn’t accept money, she slid the plate over a little so it was in the middle of them and placed the other fork down in front of him.

Without a word, she cut into the waffle and began to eat. When he didn’t do anything, she nudged the plate closer to him. As she looked up, she noticed him rolling his eyes before he picked up the fork and began to eat the waffle from the other end.

“So where’s your husband?” Beth gave him a suspicious look but Rio just chuckled and motioned to her wedding ring with his fork. “That heavily pregnant, shouldn’t he be helping?”

She ate another piece of waffle. Talking about Dean was her least favourite thing because she constantly felt like she had to justify him never being around. “He’s busy. He works a lot.”

Rio seemed to pick up on the fact that she didn’t want to talk about it because he changed the subject. “How long have you got left?”

“About a month.”

He whistled as he put his fork down and leaned back in his seat. “First time?”

“Fourth actually.” Rio’s eyes grew wide for a moment and it was Beth’s turn to chuckle at his reaction. “Probably the last mind you.”

“Girl or boy?”

“Girl.”

“Name?”

“A few but I think Emma is going to win.”

His eyes darted to the stuffed rabbit that had long since been pushed from the table and onto the vacant chair. “First present?”

Beth shrugged a little. “Something like that.”

Just then, one of the staff came over with a tray. She placed the cheesy fries down as well as two chocolate milkshakes. Beth’s eyes lit up at it all and she smiled at Rio as they both claimed a glass. While the milkshakes were her definitely her favourite, she had originally thought that nothing could top the waffles but the extra cheese on her fries really sold her and she found herself feeling a ridiculous amount of gratitude towards the stranger sitting across from her.

“This doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you would normally do.”

Rio raised a brow. “What do you think is a normal thing for me to be doing?”

“I have no idea,” she admitted before eating a couple of fries. “You just don’t look like the type to go shopping and take care of pregnant ladies you don’t know.”

“Everyone shops,” he pointed out. “And maybe I look after pregnant ladies all the time.”

Beth laughed at that. “Yeah, okay. You got me there. I guess I just figured you were more the dark and mysterious type.”

He looked down at himself and then over to her. “What makes you say that?”

“The way you hold yourself.” She could tell from the momentary shock on Rio’s face that it wasn’t what he was expecting her to say. “You didn’t even have to speak and that man knew what you wanted. I’m guessing that however you know each other, you’re the one in charge and based on the fact that he’s walking, not so much talking muscle, I’m guessing whatever you’re involved in is dangerous.” She drank some of her milkshake, eyes on him the entire time. “How am I doing?”

At first, he didn’t say anything. He simply drank his milkshake and watched her carefully. Beth raised a brow in anticipation and he smiled. “That was pretty good.”

She figured he wasn’t going to elaborate so she took her win and happily ate her fries. He helped her with them, just like the waffles. Between the two of them, it didn’t take too long for them to clear the plate and it was just as they finished their milkshakes, that Rio’s guy came back.

Rio stood up first and helped her up from her seat. He reached over to grab the stuffed rabbit and placed it on top of the cart. It was piled up with everything she had written on her list and she quickly realised that if she had done it all herself, it probably would have taken double the time.

Before she could open her mouth to thank either of them, Rio held his arm out. She looped hers through and held onto him. Together they walked towards the checkouts, his guy pushing the trolley ahead of them. When they got closer and were stood in line, she let go of Rio’s arm.

“Thank you,” she said as she turned to face him. “You didn’t have to do this.”

He shrugged and tilted with his head towards the checkout. “Carlos will put your stuff up but do you need help taking it to the car?”

She shook her head. “I’ve had help taking stuff out to the car before and in this condition, I doubt any of the staff will complain if I ask.”

Rio’s eyes raked over her and it sent shivers through her. It really was fascinating how he could portray so much in a single look but still manage to be unreadable. She felt like his gaze set her alight in the best way possible and suddenly she didn’t want him to leave. It was stupid, she knew that, but she couldn't help it.

“Well,” he said as he hooked a finger under her pearls and lifted them up, tugging gently so she was forced to take a step towards him. “Good luck with everything.”

With another one of those smirks, he dropped the pearls and walked towards the exit. As Beth turned to watch him, she let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. With all of her things on the conveyer belt, she nudged the trolley forward until she reached the cashier. Her mind was too busy running over the events that had unfolded and the fluttering feeling in her chest, that she thought she had misheard the cashier.

“That price has to be wrong,” Beth said, shaking her head. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was complaining but even she wasn’t going to rip off the store when she was confident she should have been paying double. “I budgeted for way more than that.”

“Oh, it is more.” The cashier, a young girl, most likely a student, smiled at her. “One of the men you were with left some money behind and said it was to go towards this. I’ve already taken it off.”

Beth’s eyes automatically went to the exit but Rio was long gone. While the money he had left didn’t cover everything, it was still more than she would ever have asked for. In fact, she wouldn’t have asked for anything. Not knowing what else to do, she simply nodded.

“Right, sorry,” Beth said, smiling. “I’d forget my head if it wasn’t you know…”

She handed over the rest of the money and the cashier put it all away. “Would you like any help taking it all to your car?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

As another member of staff, a young boy this time pushed the cart, Beth vaguely directed him to where she had parked. He helped her to throw everything into the back and she made sure to thank him, handing over a little cash which he tried to turn down, but she insisted.

Once he had wheeled the cart away, Beth climbed into the driver's seat and sat there for a moment, lost in thought as her hand absent-mindedly played with her pearls.


	2. Coincidental

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months after giving birth, Beth finally gets to spend some time away from the house and she runs into a familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the majority of the people who commented on the last chapter wanted me to write more so I did just that :) There's going to be three chapters in total. The third one will involve Rio interacting with Emma for those of you that wanted that!

While the majority of Beth’s fourth pregnancy had been surprisingly easy, the drama all came towards the end. Not only had Emma - she and Dean had settled on the name - taken to kicking her repeatedly but she had also been a little more than a week overdue.

Beth had been stuck in the house for the majority of the three months since giving birth but luckily, she found a few hours all to herself one Saturday and she managed to rope Annie into taking her to her favourite burger joint. After all of the sleepless nights and with her outings usually only being around 15 minutes if that, biting into the largest, messiest burger she could get her hands on sounded like the best thing in the world.

With a light breeze in the air, Beth decided to sit on the bench outside while Annie went in to order for them. She wanted to be able to enjoy the fresh air and view that wasn’t in or around her house, the doctor’s office, or the local grocery store while she could.

As she was waiting, her phone pinged and she quickly grabbed her bag, hoping that it was Annie with some kind of update on their food. She was starving and looking forward to being able to eat something without first having to prepare it for the entire family. With her bag on her lap, Beth was about to reach into it when suddenly someone sat down where her bag had once been.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my sister is just-” But she stopped abruptly when she finally saw who had sat down next to her. “ _Rio_?”

He was dressed head to toe in black and she began to wonder if it was a signature look for him. With his hoodie zipped up, he had his hands buried in the pockets and his hood was up but in a half on, half off kind of way. “What’s up, sweetheart?”

There was that signature smirk again and it made her heart flutter a little. “I… What are you doing here?”

“I saw you sitting here all alone,” he offered up. “You were saying about your sister…?”

Beth motioned vaguely behind her but her eyes remained on him. “She’s just getting us some food. I didn’t want to stand in the queue.”

He turned a little to look at the building before he settled back. “They’ve probably got seats inside.”

“I only ever leave my house for doctor’s appointments and to get groceries,” Beth remarked. “I’m not sitting inside.”

Her voice had come out a little harsher than she had meant. He pulled his hands from his pockets and held them up in defence. For half a second she felt bad but then she saw the twinkle in his eyes. She sighed and offered up an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I’m just a little frustrated.”

“Yeah.” He nodded a little, his eyes settled on her stomach. “How old is she now?”

“Almost three months.”

“Four kids, right?” She nodded and he bit his lip to stop from smiling. “Bet you’re loving that.”

“Oh, I’m in heaven.”

The two of them shared a smile and Rio shifted then, angling his body so he was facing her with his side pressed against the back of the bench. In response, she shifted just enough so that she didn’t have to strain her neck to keep looking at him because she realised then that she really couldn’t look away. She hadn’t wanted their previous encounter to come to an end and once it did, she figured it would be the first and only time she would ever see him and yet, here he was.

Rio put his arm along the back of the bench. The tips of his fingers found her shoulder and he slowly played with a strand of her hair. With his eyes focused on what he was doing, she searched his face. There was some faraway look in his eyes, he was completely and utterly lost in thought and she had to fight the urge to ask him what was on his mind.

Instead, he was the first to speak again. “How long have you been waiting out here?”

“Not too long.” Beth shrugged a little. “Although I do wish she would hurry up. I really want my burger.”

Rio looked around and an idea seemed to strike him because he suddenly stood up. Looking down at Beth, he pointed at her. “Wait here.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“I won’t be long, alright?”

Before she could even nod or say anything, he was off. She watched as he crossed the street and walked into the ice-cream parlour. About five or ten minutes later he reemerged. He glanced up and down the street before walking across. He had two takeaway cups in hand and when he settled down on the bench, Beth couldn’t help but notice that he sat a little closer this time.

“Here we go,” Rio said, handing her one of the cups. Beth gave him a suspicious look as she took the cup but once she did, she realised that it was a milkshake, chocolate to be exact, and she laughed. Taking a sip, she hummed appreciatively.

For half a second, Beth was sure that Rio was looking her up and down as his tongue ran out over his bottom lip and she felt her cheeks go bright red for even considering that there might have been something behind the look. She coughed a little to clear her throat. “What made you decide to get milkshakes?”

“You liked that other one.” He offered up a small smile. “Figured it might improve your mood.”

Her heart began to flutter again. He remembered. It was something small and she did feel a little stupid but in recent times she had felt more and more alone. Dean was always busy and she couldn’t remember the last time he really took notice of her. And here Rio was, still pretty much a stranger, and he remembered their last encounter enough to use it to try and lift her spirits.

“Did you get the same?” Beth asked when she realised she had been staring at him for a little too long without saying anything.

“Only seemed fair.” He took a drink of his milkshake. “As good as the other one?”

She shook her head. “But it’s a close second.”

He smirked. “I’ll take that win.”

“So, have you got nothing better to do on this fine Saturday?” she questioned, sipping at her milkshake.

“Nowhere important.”

“I’m actually glad you’re here.” He shuffled a little closer towards her and Beth felt her breath catch. He tilted his head to the side a little, giving her an intrigued look. “I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?”

“The money you left.”

He smiled but his eyes darted away for a moment. “It was nothing.”

“Please don’t do that,” she said and his eyes immediately found hers again. “It meant a lot. Things have been a little stressful and I’ve been feeling…” She shook her head. “Point is, it helped.”

Rio gently pushed her hair out of the way, his finger tips brushing against her neck and sending a shiver through her. “I’m glad but there’s no need to thank me.”

His hand had fallen to rest on the back of the bench but Beth could still feel his touch against her skin. She instinctively shuffled a little closer and she was far less subtle than he had been but Rio only smiled as his eyes searched her face. Just as she was about to muster up a smile of her own, her phone pinged again and she realised she hadn’t checked it the last time either.

Without a word, Rio held her milkshake and she fished her phone out. The first text was from Dean asking which one of them was picking up the kids. She ignored it. She had plenty of time to get back to him and this was the first time he had stayed at home on his own to look after Emma, she deserved this break so he could pick the kids up from their Saturday actives. The second text, however, was from Annie. She was just waiting on their drinks and the extra side of onion rings then she would be out.

“It’s Annie, my sister,” Beth explained. “She should be out in a couple of minutes.”

Rio waited for her to put her phone back before he handed over her milkshake. “I should get going then.”

The amount of panic and disappointment that Beth felt surprised her. It was like last time. She just wanted to prolong their interaction. “Oh, yeah.” She nodded a little and tried to smile. “Right.”

He laughed a little and his fingers once again came up to ghost against her neck. “Maybe there’ll be a third time.”

Rio’s hand found her shoulder and he gently squeezed it. Before his hand could drop from her shoulder, she lifted her arm so that as he stood to walk away, her hand brushed against his. His fingers curled a little, catching hers for a moment and he offered up that smirk of his one last time before he walked away.

Beth drank her milkshake but her eyes were still on Rio has he crossed the street and her mind was focused on the tingling on her neck and hand. She was so distracted by the unusual mix of fulfillment and abandonment she felt that Annie’s return escaped her until a box was being placed on her lap.

She shook her head before putting the now empty cup on the bench between them. “Thank you,” she said as she opened the box to reveal her burger. 

Annie frowned “Where did you get the milkshake?”

“Some kid was asking for money for a school trip,” Beth explained. She wasn’t entirely sure why she lied but she did know that knowing Rio felt like something that should be purely hers. At least for now. Plus, the chances of seeing him a third time were pretty slim. It would take a miracle. So was there even any point in telling anyone about him? “I told him if he got me a milkshake he could keep the change and I would give him an extra 10 dollars on top.”

“Well, I don’t blame you.” Annie sighed. “That food took forever. Good thing it’s worth it.”

“Definitely,” Beth agreed before taking a bite of her burger.

It was exactly what she had been looking for and it was the perfect distraction from him but she knew deep down that it wouldn’t be enough. When they had bumped into each other a few months back, Beth had wondered if her attraction to him and the enjoyment she felt from spending time with him were simply down to being heavily pregnant and fed up with her day to day life. He was different, a stranger, and for a little bit, she could forget everything. But based on the slight increase of her heartbeat, she knew that it wasn’t all entirely down to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter is already written so it shouldn't be too long before I get it posted :)


	3. Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was like some odd sense of fate that [she and Rio] would run into each other once again, especially where they had first met, and Beth found herself silently thanking the universe for it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly a little shocked over how much you all seem to love this fic. You're all so incredibly kind and I really do appreciate it! :)

Beth had just settled a 9-month-old Emma into the little seat attached to the shopping cart and was about to wheel her past the food court when she stopped dead. It couldn’t be real, she had to be seeing things, but no matter how many times she blinked, Rio was still sat there. It was like some odd sense of fate that they would run into each other once again, especially where they had first met, and Beth found herself silently thanking the universe for it.

He was at one of the tables near the edge. He was sitting sideways in his seat, his back against the barrier that framed the food court. She considered her options. This was the third time they had run into each other but the first time that she had spotted him first. With his back to her, it meant that she could surprise him but then there was no way to know if she would be interrupting something.

Feeling like an idiot for overthinking the whole thing, she pushed the cart towards the barrier. As she got closer, she lined the cart up against the barrier and stood directly behind him. He didn’t seem to notice her presence or if he did, he didn’t react. 

“You don’t happen to know what the chocolate milkshake is like here, do you?” Beth asked and from the angle she was at she could just about see the side of his face and her heart gave a flutter when he smirked.

“Actually, I happen to know someone who loves the chocolate milkshake here.” Instead of turning to face her, he put his head back and looked up at her. “Hello, sweetheart.”

She bit her lip in an attempt to suppress her smile. “Hi.”

He motioned towards the seats across from him. “Feel free.”

Straightening the cart up a little and leaving it where it was, she unclipped Emma and lifted her out. When she sat down across from Rio, he sat up properly and turned to face her. Beth placed her baby bag on the seat beside her and put Emma in her lap. She dug out her favourite toy of the moment, a soft rattle that looked almost identical to the family dog.

“Emma?” Rio asked.

Beth nodded. “She’s a little over nine months now.”

Rio placed his hand on the table, palm up, in front of Emma. She happily placed her hands in his and excitedly slapped at it. “Hi,” he said softly.

“I’m hoping she’ll start to say more,” Beth mused, watching them. “She mostly says Mama and bun, and I think she’s trying to say doggy but it doesn’t come out exactly right.”

He offers up a smile and Emma’s hand wraps around one of his fingers. “Bun?”

“Bunny,” Beth supplied. “She has that stuffed one I bought her when we first met. We tell her it’s a bunny but she only ever says bun.”

Rio laughed a little at that before reaching out for Emma’s rattle with his free hand. He shook it a little and Emma giggled happily as she tried to reach for it. When Rio finally handed it over she gripped it with both hands and goes between shaking it and chewing on it. His hand stayed close enough that occasionally she would reach for it, choosing to hold tightly onto his finger instead of playing with her rattle.

“You seem like a natural,” Beth noted.

He didn’t take his eyes off of Emma. “You sound surprised.”

“I guess I’m always surprised.” At that he did look up, giving her a look to continue on. “Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but let’s just say I’m the one who takes care of the kids. My husband is great with them but I wouldn’t call him a natural.”

“He doesn’t look after them?”

“I mean, he _does_.” Beth wasn’t entirely sure why she was defending him. Dean probably could lift a hand more often but their routine did make sense. It was efficient. “He works is all.”

“I’ll never understand not wanting to help, working full-time or not,” Rio mused before he stuck his tongue out at Emma who fell back against Beth’s chest and happily hit his hand in response. “Just gotta spend five minutes with them and you never want to leave.”

Beth sighed, arm tightening around Emma in a soft hug. “Tell me about it.”

“You planning on having any more?”

“No.” The response was instant that for a moment they both stared at each other before smiling. “Anyway, what brings you here?”

He shrugged and she knew he wasn’t about to tell her. “No big reason.”

“So I’m not interrupting and you’re no in rush?” He shook his head and she edged her chair back. She grabbed her purse and stood up, holding Emma close to her chest. “Good. Wait here.”

Just like he had done during their last encounter, she walked away without waiting for him to say anything. At the counter she ordered two chocolate milkshakes and asked if someone would be kind enough to bring them over, knowing perfectly well that she couldn’t carry it all on her own. The woman serving her said it would be no problem and Beth headed back to her seat after paying.

Rio eyed her suspiciously but she kept tight-lipped until one of the staff came over and placed the two drinks down in front of them. As soon as he saw what it was he rolled his eyes but he also couldn’t stop smiling as he reached for one of the cups.

“Felt like it was my turn,” she mused, bringing the drink forward and taking a sip.

“It’s starting to feel like a tradition.” He took a few sips of his own. “Christ this is good.”

Beth laughed a little. “Right? No offence but that one from last night was horrible compared to this.”

The pair lapsed into silence as they drank their milkshakes. Emma was happily distracted by her rattle and occasionally Rio’s hand. At first, Beth couldn’t stop smiling over how he refused to move his hand back and simply let it be a plaything but then she looked at him properly and noticed the way he was watching her and her smile faded.

Rio was looking her up and down, slowly taking in every inch of her that he could, and she noted that he had that twinkle in his eyes again. When his eyes eventually found hers, he tilted his head to the side a little, tongue running slowly across his bottom lip. The intensity in the eye contact alone made her want to shrink away. She wasn’t used to it, she realised, but the longer they looked into each other’s eyes, and the way the corner of his mouth slowly twitched up into a smirk, she found she liked it.

She shook the guilt that washed over her then. There was nothing wrong with appreciating the way someone looked at her, right? He knows she’s married and she really is very happy with her life, it’s all incredibly harmless in the grand scheme of things. Over the last couple of months, she had begun to feel more like the old Beth, the person she used to be before her fourth pregnancy got a little tiresome. Rio was really the only blip. She often wondered if she would have given him the time of day back when they first met if she hadn’t of been so heavily pregnant and fed up. But it didn’t matter what she would have done if things were different because she did give him the time a day.

It was hard not to appreciate the way his eyes roamed over her or that twinkle in his eyes. She loved Dean, she really did, but she had noticed the lack of intimacy between them since Emma was born. It didn’t help that he was never around. It wasn’t even about sex. Beth wasn’t sure she was ready for that again just yet but she also couldn’t remember the last time they curled up on the couch together or even held hands.

“Darling?”

She blinked a few times, realising that she had begun to stare off into space. Rio was still watching her but his features were softer, his brows drawn in as he began to frown. “Sorry,” she said as shook her head a little.

“Everything alright?”

“Uh huh.” She took the last couple of sips of her milkshake. “I really should shop while she’s so quiet though.”

At that, Rio pushed his chair back and stood up. “Let’s got then.”

Before she could argue, he was already heading to retrieve the cart. By the time she had gathered her bag and stood up with Emma, he had wheeled the cart around to meet them. She settled Emma back into the little seat and then began to head towards the first aisle.

Although Beth couldn’t see him, she knew Rio was trailing along behind them because occasionally Emma would start giggling and she would reach out towards him. It took everything in Beth not to turn around and see what he was doing exactly. Whatever it was, it was keeping Emma entertained which was perfectly fine.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh this much.”

“That’s because I’m actually funny.”

Beth glanced over her shoulder at him and looked him up and down. “Funny looking maybe.”

Rio began to narrow his eyes at her and she quickly looked forward again as she tried, and failed, not to smile. But she didn’t have long to bask in her fun because the next second he placed his hand against her lower back and her breath caught. 

“Are you sure about that, sweetheart?” he said, his voice right by her ear.

His hand slowly slipped away as he moved to walk beside the cart. He looked back at her and as they locked eyes, he winked. Beth could feel the heat creep up as she blushed. It only increased when she realised he had noticed because suddenly he grinned before looking forward.

For the rest of their walk through the shop, Rio remained by the side of the cart and Beth couldn’t take her eyes off of him. At one point, he had reached back to pluck her shopping list from her hand so he could start pulling things from the shelves and into the cart. When he didn’t do that, he would be looking down at Emma, playfully swiping her rattle or allowing for her to play with his hand to keep her amused. 

Beth hated it or rather, she hated how it made her feel. She felt so many things as she watched him and already she felt the dread of having to part ways with him once again. She didn’t know him, not really. She had to keep reminding herself of that. He was nice, playful, and his eyes tended to rake over her like she was actually worth looking at. Beth was happy with herself. Who she was, how she looked, but there was something so satisfying about the attention Rio gave her. It was genuine and it wasn’t just a fleeting moment, it imprinted on her.

By the time they did part ways, he had helped her put everything in the car. Emma was fastened into her car seat and the two of them simply stood by the open driver’s side door. Beth had just been about to climb in when she turned around to face him. Rio had one hand on the roof, the other on the door, caging her in. The distance between them, no matter how small, felt almost suffocating and so she took a step towards him, his eyes following her every move. With hardly any room between them, that suffocating feeling diminished slightly.

Rio’s hand dropped from the roof and he slowly reached up to touch her pearls. He rolled one of them back and forth between his fingers for a moment. “Until next time.”

Although she couldn’t allow for herself to get too hopeful, she nodded. “Next time.”

With that signature smirk in place, he stepped away from her and walked back across the carpark. Beth took a moment to watch him before she forced herself to get into the car and drive away.

* * *

It was several years before Beth saw Rio again and she never expected it to be in her kitchen. He was there to talk to her. To Ruby and Annie. When she had first found him sitting on her island counter, she had been startled. She had asked what he wanted but it took for him jumping down and coming towards her for it to click that she knew him. As the shock of finding three men with guns in her kitchen wore off, Beth couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognised him straight away.

He looked just the same. A little more stubble if anything. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said it was only yesterday that she saw him last. There was a split second where he seemed to recognise her as well but then his face went blank.

“About what?” she finally asked him.

“Oh, about the money you stole from us.”

He gave that signature smirk and Beth knew for sure that this was definitely her Rio but something was different. Had too much time passed? Had she misinterpreted that fleeting moment where he seemed to recognise her? Fate really did seem to have a habit of pushing them back together. Beth told herself that she wasn’t so thankful to see him this time around but the fluttering in her chest threatened to betray her. 


End file.
